In a bid to reward their weeks of hard work, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) members competed in the Bay Section Leadership Conference (BSLC) on Saturday, March 1, at Homestead High School. Out of the 17 FBLA members who participated in BSLC, 10 managed to place within the top five in their category, with three individuals and four groups qualifying for the State Competition in April.

At BSLC, participants take part in varying events ranging from speeches to presentations to workshops. At the end of the competition, an awards ceremony is held to congratulate not only trophy winners, but also individuals who participated. Although much of this event is competition based, the event also promotes friendship and fun.

“For me the most important thing is to meet students from other schools and learn from the experience,” FBLA president senior Katherine Liu said. “Bay is definitely where I’ve made most of my friends from different schools, and it’s a great place for members to see how they can improve and get new ideas.”

Individual events, team events and speaking events all differ in terms of the criteria judged and the way materials are presented. Most individual and team events were based on written exams, while a few individual events focused on public speaking. Whether or not participants qualified for State Qualifiers, BSLC provided an opportunity for FBLA members to bond with others.

“[Bay Section] was a great way for our members to meet new people and see their business knowledge come into play.” Katherine said. “I think Los Altos FBLA did a fantastic job this year at Bay Section, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!”

Bay Section Results: (#) indicates rank placed
Business Calculations: William Liu (2)
Business Communication: Alina Chen (5)
Business Law: Sitara Sriram (9)
Business Procedures: Veronica Mark (10), Elaine Zhao (6)
Entrepreneurship: Steven Cui, Louis Hinnant, Jason Leong (6)
Future Business Leader: Katherine Liu [senior] (2)
Global Business: Owen Jow, Tony Sun, Yuki Zaninovich (3)
Health Care Administration: Aryana Salehi (8)
Hospitality Management: Katherine Liu [junior], Allison Mock, Michele Tom (1)
Management Decision Making: Sarah Jacobs (3), Katherine Liu [senior]
Marketing: Douglas Curtis, Sarah Jacobs (2)
Public Speaking II: Aryana Salehi (3)

State Qualifiers: Individual written events (top 5), Team events (top 5), Speaking events (top 2)